Muscat – Oman Table Tennis Association (OTTA) unveiled Iran’s Omid Shams Shahrbabaki as the new national table tennis coach on Monday.

Shahrbabaki has been with the national team for the past month and had guided the Omani youngsters during the WTT Youth Contender Muscat 2021.

However, the formal signing of the agreement with the former Iran coach and the OTTA took place recently.

OTTA chairman Abdullah Bamakhalif signed the deal with Shahrbabaki in the presence of other board members.

The Iran coach replaced Jordan’s long-serving coach Mohammed Atoum, who guided the national team from 2015 to 2021 before taking up an assignment with the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).

Shahrbabaki, 46, had coached Iran national team between 2015 to 2018. He had also worked as the head coach of Iran’s hopes and youth team from 2014 to 2020.

A widely travelled coach, Shahrbabaki has loads of experience in training and nurturing youngsters.

Speaking after the unveiling as the national team coach, Shahrbabaki said, “I see a bright future for table tennis in Oman. The enthusiasm and energy among the OTTA board members to develop the game in the sultanate is a positive sign. We plan to have many development and coaching programmes for Omani paddlers in close cooperation with Asian and world table tennis associations.”

OTTA chief Bamakhalif, said, “The coaching committee had reviewed numerous applications for the job and after a careful study decided to rope in Shahrbabaki, based on his experience as head coach of junior and youth categories. We will provide him suitable environment to deliver his best for our national teams.”